Tiger : The Destruction of a golf swing

It is always amazing to me after a player learns the correct information and fundamentals how far away they can stray from the very things that got them to the top in the vain attempt to “better” themselves and get to the “next level”. Tiger was taught in his early years well, and he was fundamentally sound up until the year 2001 when he started to work on things that were completely contradictory to the fundamental positions that all of the greats get into. Notice how every interview he gives after a round he is working on this or that and he is very close to “getting it”, well he has been saying that now for 10 years!!

Here is Tiger at a young age in a perfect position. You can clearly see he is into his right leg, the toe of the club is pointing down and his right hand is above his left in a powerful position to hit down on the ball. His club has not moved an inch from where it started he simply swung his triangle from address over his right shoulder to the top of the back swing.

Here he is as the best player on the planet. In the EXACT same position he was taught to get into as a kid. The only difference between these photographs is his age and he is not wearing his dads visor……..

See any difference with these, my god, the year 2000 he was perfect, the exact same positions he has always gotten into since he was 3 years old.

Look at the years 2009 and 2011, the club is dead behind him, his right side is completely trapped, the club is dead shut and his left arm and hand is above his right. The problem is his instructors have gotten him here and he was foolish enough to listen to these guys and agree that this is a good position. Foley says his ideas are grounded in bio mechanics and how the body works in motion. Well he either got a D in class or he does not know how to apply these mechanics to the golf swing. This is clear and undeniable.

Here is further proof of this, Sean Foley is working with Sean O’Hair trying to get this poor kid in the exact same crap position he was successful getting Tiger into, most likely because Tiger was pretty much there already. The other picture is of O’Hair winning soon after not even close to getting in the horrid position that his coach wants. Hopefully this kid will never get where Foley wants or it’s by by Tour Card if he maintains it.

Here are the money shots baby, IMPACT. Look at the year 2000, his left elbow is pointing back to his left hip, right wear is was at address and his hips are unwinding perfectly, you can also see his weight starting to go to his left toes.

Now look at the years 2009 and 2011. This is about as poor a position this kid can get at impact. The left elbow is pointing to the target, his hips are sliding, not unwinding (see the hips way past his left forearm) and his weight is going to his left heel, completely off balance. This is called a handle pulling block slide……….

The good news for Tiger fans is he can be fixed over a weekend if he ever runs into someone that understands the golf swing. He can be fixed this quickly only because he would be so familiar with the proper positions being in them for most of his life.

Steve is a PGA Director of Instruction in Bellevue, Washington and has 25 years experience teaching Tour players and more than 300 PGA and LPGA golf professionals. He has direct lineage to the teachings of Sam Byrd, Ben Hogan’s teacher for over 20 years. While at the prestigious Ocean Reef Club in Florida, Steve worked with some of the game’s very best including Rocco Mediate, Jim Colbert, Jim Dent, Marco Dawson, Emily Klein, Leonard Thompson and Jim Mclean. With his easy to understand, “rid yourself of the nonsense” approach to the golf swing, he is one of the top instructors in the country.